NBA coach, player arrested in illegal gambling probes

NBA coach, player arrested in illegal gambling probes
NBA head coach Chauncey Billups of the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were arrested on Thursday for alleged involvement in illegal gambling on a "mind-boggling" scale, US officials said. (X/@LegionHoops)
Short Url
Updated 22 sec ago

NBA coach, player arrested in illegal gambling probes

NBA coach, player arrested in illegal gambling probes
  • Rozier and a former NBA player and assistant coach, Damon Jones, were among six people arrested
  • Billups and Rozier were placed on “immediate leave” following their arrests, the NBA said

NEW YORK: NBA head coach Chauncey Billups of the Portland Trail Blazers and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier were arrested on Thursday for alleged involvement in illegal gambling on a “mind-boggling” scale, US officials said.
Billups, a former Detroit Pistons star and a member of the National Basketball Association Hall of Fame, was arrested in connection with rigged illegal poker games tied to Mafia crime families, FBI Director Kash Patel said.
Rozier and a former NBA player and assistant coach, Damon Jones, were among six people arrested in a sports betting case, Patel said at a press conference in New York.
“The fraud is mind boggling,” Patel said. “It’s not hundreds of dollars, it’s not 1000s of dollars, it’s not 10s of 1000s of dollars. It’s not even millions of dollars.
“We’re talking about 10s of millions of dollars in fraud and theft and robbery across a multi-year investigation.”

Billups and Rozier were placed on “immediate leave” following their arrests, the NBA said in a brief statement, adding that it was reviewing the indictments and cooperating with authorities.
US Attorney Joseph Nocella said the 49-year-old Billups was one of more than 30 people indicted for alleged involvement in a “nationwide scheme to rig illegal poker games” that used “high-tech cheating technology.”
Rozier and Jones allegedly “participated in one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States,” Nocella said.
He described it as “an insider sports betting conspiracy that exploited confidential information about National Basketball Association athletes and teams.”
The defendants were involved in illegal betting on the performance of players on the Charlotte Hornets, the Portland Trail Blazers, the Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors, Nocella said.
He said the NBA has cooperated with the investigation which led to the indictments unsealed on Thursday.
New York police commissioner Jessica Tisch cited an example of a March 23, 2023 game in which Rozier was then playing for the Hornets.
Rozier let co-conspirators “know that he planned to leave the game early with a supposed injury,” Tisch said.
“Using that information, members of the group placed more than $200,000 in wagers” on his expected performance in the game, she said. “Rozier exited the game after just nine minutes, and those bets paid out, generating tens of thousands of dollars in profit.”
As for the rigged poker games allegedly involving Billups, the organizers used “custom shuffling machines that could read cards, barcoded decks and hidden cameras built into tables and light fixtures,” Tisch said.
“Victims believed that they were sitting at a fair table,” she said. “Instead, they were cheated out of millions.”

- NBA player banned for life -

Billups retired from the NBA as a player in 2014 and has been the head coach of the Trail Blazers since 2021. He was on the bench for the team’s first game of the season on Wednesday, a loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Rozier, 31, was the 16th overall pick by the Boston Celtics in the 2015 draft. He has averaged 13.9 points per game playing for three teams over his 11-year NBA career.
Rozier is suffering from a hamstring injury and did not play in the Heat’s opening game of the NBA season on Wednesday.
Rozier’s lawyer, James Trusty, said in a statement that prosecutors “appear to be taking the word of spectacularly incredible sources rather than relying on actual evidence of wrongdoing.”
“Terry was cleared by the NBA and these prosecutors revived that non-case,” Trusty said. “Terry is not a gambler, but he is not afraid of a fight, and he looks forward to winning this fight.”
The National Basketball Players Association added in a statement: “The integrity of the game is paramount to NBA players, but so is the presumption of innocence and both are hindered when player popularity is misused to gain attention.
“We will ensure our members are protected and afforded their due process rights through this process.”
Nocella, the US attorney, said the indictment in the sports gambling case was linked to the arrest last year of a former NBA player, Jontay Porter of the Toronto Raptors, who was banned from the league for life for his role in a betting scandal.
Porter was accused of placing bets linked to his performance on the court. He has pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy and is awaiting sentencing.
NBA players are forbidden from wagering on NBA games under league rules.
Billups’s arrest comes three months after that of former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas, who was arrested in July on charges of running illegal high-stakes poker games at his Los Angeles mansion.
Arenas has pleaded not guilty.


Messi signs new Inter Miami contract through 2028: club

Messi signs new Inter Miami contract through 2028: club
Updated 8 sec ago

Messi signs new Inter Miami contract through 2028: club

Messi signs new Inter Miami contract through 2028: club
Inter Miami’s X feed posted a video of Messi signing a contract sitting at a table in the middle of the club’s new Freedom Park stadium
“It makes me really happy to stay here and to continue with this project that,” Messi said

MIAMI: Lionel Messi has agreed a contract extension with Inter Miami which will see the Argentine superstar remain in Major League Soccer until the end of the 2028 season, the club confirmed on Thursday.
Inter Miami’s X feed posted a video of Messi signing a contract sitting at a table in the middle of the club’s new Freedom Park stadium, which is under construction, with the simple caption: “He’s Home.”
“It makes me really happy to stay here and to continue with this project that, besides being a dream, has become a beautiful reality — playing in this stadium, at Miami Freedom Park,” Messi, 38, said in a club statement.
“Since I arrived in Miami, I’ve been very happy, so I’m truly glad to keep going here,” Messi added.
Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham said Messi’s decision to extend reflected his “commitment to the city, to the club, to the game.”
“He’s still as committed as he’s ever been and he still wants to win,” Beckham said. “As owners to have a player that loves the game as much as he does, and who has done as much for the game in this country and to inspire the next generation of young talent as he has, we feel very lucky.”
The World Cup-winner’s current contract expires at the end of the 2025 MLS season.
A new deal had been viewed as a formality after club sources told AFP last month that the franchise had reached an agreement on an extension.
Messi’s contract ensures he will remain in competitive action until and long after the 2026 World Cup hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Messi moved to Inter Miami in 2023 after an unhappy spell at Paris Saint-Germain and has since had a transformative effect on the league, driving record attendances and ticketing revenues.
“When Lionel Messi made MLS his league of choice, it marked a turning point — not just for Inter Miami, but for our entire sport in North America,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Thursday as he welcomed news of Messi’s contract extension.
Messi spent the bulk of his stellar career at Barcelona, where he played from 2004 to 2021 after coming through the youth system at the Spanish giants.
At Barcelona, he won the La Liga title 10 times and lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy on four occasions.
In 2022, he led Argentina to World Cup glory in Qatar and has expressed a desire to try to retain the trophy next year.
He has scored 114 international goals and also won the Copa America twice with Argentina, in 2021 and 2024.

- MLS goals history -

Messi could play at a sixth World Cup next year, which would set a new all-time record, although he could be matched by long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal.
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner is also just three goals short of Miroslav Klose’s record of 16 career World Cup goals.
Argentina comfortably booked a spot at next year’s finals, finishing nine points clear at the top of the South American qualifying table.
Messi finished as the top scorer with eight goals, including a brace in what may have been his last competitive match on home soil against Venezuela two weeks ago.
He was named the MLS Most Valuable Player in the 2024 season even though Inter Miami were eliminated in the playoffs.
In 2025, he became the fastest player to reach 40 goals in MLS history.
This season, Messi has led Miami back into the playoffs after finishing in third place in the Eastern Conference.
He wrapped up Inter Miami’s regular season campaign with a superb hat-trick last Saturday in a 5-2 demolition of Nashville SC, leaving him with 29 goals from 28 matches to win MLS’s Golden Boot award.

Kite World Cup set to make debut at Fahid Island Watersports Festival in Abu Dhabi

Kite World Cup set to make debut at Fahid Island Watersports Festival in Abu Dhabi
Updated 23 October 2025

Kite World Cup set to make debut at Fahid Island Watersports Festival in Abu Dhabi

Kite World Cup set to make debut at Fahid Island Watersports Festival in Abu Dhabi
  • Inaugurated by Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamdan bin Mohammed Al-Nahyan, the event marks the first time all five watersports competitions will be held in one location, from Oct. 25-Nov. 2

ABU DHABI: For the first time in Abu Dhabi, more than 150 kitesurfing athletes will descend on the UAE capital for the Kite World Cup at the Fahid Island Watersports Festival, taking place Oct. 25-Nov. 2.

The event was officially inaugurated Thursday by Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamdan bin Mohammed Al-Nahyan, president of the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation, at a launch event hosted at Fahid Island, in the presence of athletes, partners and guests.

In partnership with Aldar, Abu Dhabi Sports Council, AD Ports Group, and set against the turquoise waters and pristine coastline of Fahid Island, the first-of-its-kind festival will feature a world-class sporting program of kitesurfing, wing foiling, e-foiling, wake foiling, hydrofoiling and freestyling, together with interactive community events.

Some of the world’s best watersports athletes will set the stage with high-flying action and freestyle tricks, including jumps, rotations, and board-offs. The event will welcome French star Kylie Belloeuvre, Spain’s Borja Vellon and one of the US’s leading foiling figures, Justin Chait, who will eye podium finishes in their respective categories.

Emirati kitesurfer Mohammed Al-Mansoori and Abu Dhabi-born Polish national Fryderyk Szcesny will also take to the water in pursuit of season-best performances.

Free entry to the Fahid Island Watersports Festival will also allow the public to experience the Athletes’ Village, which provides food trucks and live entertainment.

Watersports fans can try heir hand at several activities, including kitesurfing, wing foiling, stand-up paddleboarding, wakeboarding, and jet surfing under expert guidance. A dedicated retail boardwalk will offer shopping and lifestyle experiences.

Competition Schedule:

GKA Kite World Tour will showcase the Hydrofoil Big Air World Cup from Oct. 25-30

GKA Freestyle World Cup Abu Dhabi season opener takes place from Oct. 25-Nov. 2

GWA Wingfoil World Tour takes center stage for six days from Oct. 28-Nov. 2

SFT Surf Foil World Tour will crown its champions during the SFT E-Foil competition from Oct. 25-26

SFT Wake Foil will take place from Nov. 1-2


Zimbabwe fire coach after poor World Cup qualifying campaign

Zimbabwe fire coach after poor World Cup qualifying campaign
Updated 23 October 2025

Zimbabwe fire coach after poor World Cup qualifying campaign

Zimbabwe fire coach after poor World Cup qualifying campaign
  • Nees had been in the job for 14 months
  • Zimbabwe must now find a new coach in time for the Cup of Nations

HARARE: Zimbabwe have fired their German coach Michael Nees after a disappointing World Cup qualifying campaign and only two months before they play at the Africa Cup of Nations finals, the Zimbabwe Football Association said.
Nees had been in the job for 14 months, ensuring Zimbabwe’s qualification for the Cup of Nations finals in Morocco.


He then oversaw the last six matches of the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, in which they ended last in their group, having drawn three and lost three.
Overall, he won two of 14 games he was in charge of since being appointed in August last year.
Zimbabwe must now find a new coach in time for the Cup of Nations, where they face Egypt in their opening Group B game in Agadir on December 22.
The 58-year-old Nees had previous national team jobs in Africa with Seychelles and Rwanda and was technical director in Israel and Kosovo.


PIF’s SURJ Sports Investment partners with ATP in first ever expansion of the Masters 1000 category in ATP Tour’s 35-year history 

PIF’s SURJ Sports Investment partners with ATP in first ever expansion of the Masters 1000 category in ATP Tour’s 35-year history 
Updated 23 October 2025

PIF’s SURJ Sports Investment partners with ATP in first ever expansion of the Masters 1000 category in ATP Tour’s 35-year history 

PIF’s SURJ Sports Investment partners with ATP in first ever expansion of the Masters 1000 category in ATP Tour’s 35-year history 
  • Landmark deal sees SURJ bring newly created ATP Masters 1000 tournament to , cementing the country’s position as a premier global sports destination 
  • Announcement marks the first addition to the ATP Tour’s top-tier of events since its inception in 1990 
  • Backed by PIF, a strategic partner of both men’s and women’s tennis, SURJ’s investment reflects ’s ambition to help shape the future of the global game 

PARIS/RIYADH: SURJ Sports Investments, a PIF company, and ATP have announced the launch of an all-new ATP Masters 1000 tournament, to be hosted in .  

In what is the first ever expansion of the tournament category, will become the tenth ATP Masters 1000 host, joining the existing nine tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, Madrid, Rome, Toronto/Montreal, Cincinnati, Shanghai and Paris. The Saudi tournament will begin as early as 2028.

The agreement marks a new era for global tennis and a major sports transformation in , bringing the most celebrated names in the sport to the country and delivering an unforgettable experience for fans.  

The hosting of the tenth ATP Masters 1000 event underscores PIF’s long-term commitment to shaping the future of international tennis and global sport, and elevating ’s position as a premier global sports and entertainment hub. The deal builds on the existing strategic partnership between PIF and ATP, which includes PIF as the official naming partner of the PIF ATP Rankings (as well as the WTA rankings), partnering on several key ATP Tour events and the recent launch of a next-generation technology platform, ATP Tennis IQ Powered by PIF. As part of the agreement, the new event will join ATP and the existing Masters 1000 tournaments as a shareholder in ATP Media, the Tour’s global broadcast and media arm. 

The tournament will also focus on accelerating the growth of the game at all levels. A nationwide grassroots program, developed in partnership with the Saudi Tennis Federation, will promote inclusivity, accessibility, and talent development, inspiring the next generation of Saudi athletes and champions and creating robust pathways for participation. This supports part of PIF’s broader ambition to grow sport at all levels, and to help drive the development of tennis across both the men’s and women’s game. 

Bander Bin Mogren, Chairman of SURJ Sports Investment, said: “Bringing an ATP Masters 1000 event to is a major step forward for tennis in the region and a reflection of our shared commitment with ATP to the growth of the game around the world. This announcement underscores ’s emergence as a major destination for world-class sport and strengthens our ambition to support athletes, fans, and the wider tennis community for years to come. We are proud to be leading this effort with our partners, and we are committed to delivering a tournament that leaves a lasting legacy for the sport.” 

Andrea Gaudenzi, ATP Chairman, commented: "This is a proud moment for us and the result of a journey that’s been years in the making. has shown a genuine commitment to tennis – not just at the professional level, but also in growing the game more broadly at all levels. PIF’s ambition for the sport is clear, and we believe fans and players alike will be amazed by what’s coming. Strengthening our premium events is driving record growth and transformation across the Tour, and we’re grateful to our partners at PIF and SURJ for helping deliver that growth and sharing in this vision.”  

Danny Townsend, CEO of SURJ Sports Investment, added: "The launch of an ATP Masters 1000 in is a defining moment in our journey to enhance the sports landscape. This tournament is more than an event; it is a statement of ambition, showcasing ’s role as a global sports hub. In partnership with ATP, we are committed to creating an extraordinary experience for players and fans, while advancing our mission to develop sport at every level.” 

Sports is a key strategic sector for PIF, unlocking opportunities and enriching lives while establishing as a global destination for sports and a driver of long-term economic growth. PIF supports a wide range of sports globally and domestically, including football/soccer, tennis, golf, electric motorsports, combat sports and esports both to drive sports’ global growth and encourage participation domestically.  

With Riyadh having hosted the WTA Finals since 2024 and Jeddah as the home of the Next Gen ATP Finals since 2023, this latest announcement is set to strengthen the country’s connection with tennis and inspire an emerging fanbase with yet another glimpse of the world’s best players. 

More details on the tournament venue and dates will be announced in due course. 


Test Twenty highlights ever-evolving business of spotting cricketing talent

Test Twenty highlights ever-evolving business of spotting cricketing talent
Updated 23 October 2025

Test Twenty highlights ever-evolving business of spotting cricketing talent

Test Twenty highlights ever-evolving business of spotting cricketing talent
  • Game’s ‘fourth format’ will use AI to help discover, nurture young players

As a boy, I dreamed of playing cricket for my county and my country. Obviously, I was not the only one. Very few made it to the top. The financial rewards at the time were slim but the status counted for something. The pathways to the top were random.

A scout would come to matches to watch players. Over time, he formed a view and reported to the county coaches. An invitation to a trial might be issued, a single chance to impress. Failure was unlikely to gain a second chance. Even success did not guarantee a second invitation. 

In today’s game there are much more structured pathways in place to identify talent capable of progressing to professional level. Generally, these are in age groups, starting with under-10s. In England and Wales, the pathways are organized by the county cricket boards. Naturally, the boards hope that their investment in these players will result in them displaying loyalty. The advent of franchise cricket has begun to disrupt this balance. It may be about to receive a new shock.

Last week, a new global initiative was launched, titled Test Twenty. Its focus is on 13- to 19-year-old males, with a female equivalent mooted for the second season. Test Twenty’s format concept comprises 80 overs, divided into two innings of 20 overs per side, with scores carrying forward as in Test cricket. Matches can end in a win, draw, tie or loss. There will be some tinkering with playing conditions but, crucially, players will wear white kit and a red ball will be used. The concept is billed as cricket’s fourth format, after Test, 50 overs (one day) and T20. This takes no account of either The Hundred, which is played only in England and Wales and is regarded as subset of T20, or T10 cricket, presumably for the same reason. 

The architect of Test Twenty is sports entrepreneur Gaurav Bahirvani, executive chair of the One One Six Network, whom I was fortunate to speak with on a Zoom call this week. His advisory board includes four of cricket’s luminary figures — AB de Villiers, Sir Clive Lloyd, Matthew Hayden and Harbhajan Singh. Their public statements reflect a belief that cricket must evolve while remaining true to its spirit, something that may be easier said than done. They regard the concept as visionary and evolutionary, a blend of tradition, innovation, excitement and opportunity. The opportunities are for youth. Test Twenty is designed to discover and nurture emerging talent from around the world.

Its first edition is scheduled for January in India. Player registration opened on Oct. 16, with invitations to complete the official form on the Test Twenty website. There is also a direct entry route for applicants who receive a formal recommendation from a registered cricket academy coach, a recognized cricket administrator (former or current), or a “notable” Indian cricketer, past or present. Test Twenty’s selection committee will make the final decision.

Applicants following the standard entry route will be subject to an initial evaluation conducted via the AI Discovery Engine and reviewed by the core selection committee. Short-listed players will advance to city trials at authorized Test Twenty centers across India and around the world. Ultimately this will lead to the selection of 1,000 players for the national — presumably India — and world pools.

Short-listed players from these pools will undergo an evaluation phase which will test on-field skills, mental acuity, cricket intelligence and temperament. The assessment will be based on the Test Twenty Intelligence Index, which combines AI-driven scenario testing, match simulations and expert psychological assessment.

Gaurav Bahirvani told me that TTII was proprietary, a pioneering system which had been made possible by recent advances in technology. These include stickers on the backs of bats and chips in cricket balls that transmit data to facilitate a 360-degree evaluation of performance. The owners aim to share the technology with counties, state associations and national boards through tech-transfer partnerships. In this way, coaches, academies and cricketing bodies will have access to performance data, trend analysis and developmental metrics at all levels of cricket.

After the selection of the initial pool of 1,000 Test Twenty players at stage one, the TTII will identify 300 players who will advance to a global auction pool. Six franchises will select talent for the inaugural season at auction. Each franchise is required to assemble a 16-player squad, comprising eight Indian and eight international players. Hence 96 players will be chosen at auction, with the unselected players forming a wildcard pool, or reserve group eligible for mid-season selection opportunities.

The competition is termed a Junior Test Twenty Championship, rather than a league. It will be played in one venue in India, on a round robin basis, followed by semifinals and a final.

Three city-based teams — Dubai, London and one in the US — are planned, along with three in India. Their identities have yet to be revealed but Bahirvani said that negotiations were at an advanced stage, with plans to close deals by the end of November.

Similarly, negotiations are progressing with potential broadcasters and sponsors, some of which have not previously invested in cricket. The amount of funding available to franchises has been set — this will cover the auction and player performance remuneration.

At this stage, there is no evidence of any national boards sanctioning or endorsing Test Twenty. It is not clear how experienced coaches will react to TTII. It is certainly not clear how national, regional and county boards will react to the prospect of promising young players on their books registering independently with Test Twenty. Even more unknown is how they will react should a player be selected.

Bahirvani is unfazed by these concerns. He is quite clear that Test Twenty does not seek to compete with existing cricket boards, authorities or coaches. In fact, quite the opposite. He believes that Test Twenty can co-exist with other formats and add to the talent pool of young players and provide benefits to coaches.

He is also aware of the doubters. It would be unwise to write off Test Twenty. After all, those who did so with T20 and the Hundred have egg on their faces. Test Twenty’s aim is not to compete with any cricketing institution but to complement the global effort to identify talent and expand the game. Its assessment platform blends machine intelligence with expert review to minimize human bias and assess each player solely on performance and ability to cope with pressure. The aim is to identify talent in an objective, data-driven, transparent and merit-based manner. This is a far cry from the system of assessment in my youth, when human judgement and bias were the core components of selection and progression, not to mention the breaking or making of dreams.